Laying linoleum or the like



Nov.; zo, 1928. 1,692,480

C. N. WENRICH LAYING LINOLEUM' oR THE LIxl.l

Filed Jan. 15, 1927 :Ml tlllmlllwwl l n IINImI IMI Patented Nov. 20, 1928. I j

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vCALVIN N. MENRICYH, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T ARM-STRONG CORK COMPANY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

LAYING LINOLEUM OR LIKE.

Application led January l5, 1927. Serial No. 161,421.

The present invention relates to laying linoleum or similar floor coverings, and more especially to the laying of linoleum with a reinforced felt between it and the floor.

It has been found that when linoleum is cemented directly to a wood door, the linoleum is frequently torn due by the contraction of the boards causing the joints between the floor boards to open. Also, the inequalities in the iioor boards are visible through the laid linoleum.

It is therefore customary in laying linoleum to cement a layer of heavy builders felt to the fioor and to cement the linoleum on top of the felt. By this method the felt takes the strain of the contracting floor lboards,leaving the linoleum intact. The felt also makes a resilient backing for .the linoleum and prevents the outlines of the floor boards from becoming visible through the linoleum. It has been found, however, that there is a tendency for the felt to split along splitting or cleav-` age planes'parallel to the sheet of felt. The upper layers of felt which are cemented to the linoleum get pulled away from the lower layers of the sheet of felt which are cemented to the floor. This is particularly noticeablealong the joints between the pieces of linoleum. The linoleum along'the joints at times 3o has a tendency to curl upwardly. 'This tendency of the edges of the linoleum to lift or curl upwardly is, of course, resisted by the felt. The felt, however, is sometimes s lit by the upward lift ofthe linoleum so t at the edges alongfthe seam are noticeably raised. The felt itself is made in layers which i can be pulled a art so that the felt has little resistance to sp itting between its component layers, and therefore does not have the struc- 40 v,tural strength to hold the linoleum tightly in place against the Hoor. This liability of the felt to s 'lit is sometimes manifest in the middle o a piece of inoleum. For some reason there ma bc a buckling tendency in the linoleum an @iis will cause the linoleum to rise into a sort of blister. An examination of such blistered places shows that the bottom of the felt is usually firmly cemented to the Hoor and the upper face of the felt 5o firmly cemented to the linoleum, but that the body of the felt has pulled apart in a horizontal plane of separation.

The relative lateral movement between the ,with the usual cement.

ioor and the linoleum due to contraction or expansion of the floor boards has a tendency to move the upper face of the felt laterally with respect to its lower face, and to rupture the horizontal cleavage planes between the laminac of the felt. e

These defects are overcome in accordance with my invention by reinforcing the felt so as to give it structural strength and prevent it from being pulled apart. This is preferably done by stitching the felt, although itmay be` done otherwise, as by adhesives.

vIn the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention,-

Figure l is a perspective viewof a fioor upon which linoleum is being laid with reinforced felt;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the oor linoleum and felt; and 4 Figure 3 is a detail view showing a modi-f fied form of stitching. j

Referring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, reference numeral 1 indicates a wooden floor made up of Hoor boards 2.' In laying the linoleum a layer of builders felt 3 is cemented directly'upon the floor boards The linoleum 4 is then cemented directly over the felt with the usual linoleum cement.

As shown in the drawings,the felt isrein- I forced by lines of stitches 5 which are sewed along the strips of felt. The lines of the stitches are preferably 'aboutthree-quarters of an inch a art and are sewedwith a medium sized threa For convenience of manufacture, `the/lines of stitches are usually run lengthwise of the felt so that `it may be stretched as it is manufactured. The lines of stitches should be sufficiently close together to overcome the tendency of the felt to splitv apart in layers when it is sub'ected to the lifting action of the linoleum w ich is cemented toits upper face. j

While it is preferred, because of cheapness of manufacture, to have the stitches in parallel lines running lengthwise of the piece of felt, the felt can also be stitched crosswise or quilted, as shown in Figure 3.

While I have found the stitching with cot-v v ton thread to be satisfactory, the stitching might be otherwise carried out, as by wire stitches or staples.

It is preferred to reinforce the felt by thread or staples which do not impair the yielding qualities of` the. felt or interfere` with the adhesion 'of the usual cements.

However, the felt might be otherwise rein-y or with the direction of the floor boards.n

Also, the strips of linoleum may be laid either crosswise orin the same direction as Hoor, and a linoleum or slmilar hard surfaced the strips of felt. It is apparently immaterial whether the lines of stitching along the felt are parallel or run across the joints between the floor boards, or are parallel or run across the joints between the strips of linoleum. The troublesome splitting of the felt has not been splitting in cracks which eX- tend' vertically through the felt, but has been f along horizontal cleavage planes between the naturally occurring laminations of the felt. This splitting can apparently be prevented by parallellines of stitching 'provided the' lines are suiiiciently close together to pre-y vent the upper part of thevfelt from being llilled away from the lower part of the e t.

4ing

While the reinforced felt, is usually `employed only in laying'linoleums, it may be employed in the laying of other hard surfaced oor coverings, such, for example, as felt base goods.

The present invention is not limited to its illustrated embodiment, but may be otherwise embodied withinthe scope of the followclaims. claim:

felt/cemented to the floor and linoleum or similar hard surfaced Hoor covering cemented to the felt.

2. A oor coverin comprising felt reinforced by lines of stitching cemented to the floor covering cemented to the felt.

3. The combination cfa Wooden floor, a lining cemented to the oor comprising felt reinforced by lines of stitching, and a linoleum or similar hard surfaced Hoor covering cemented to the felt.

linoleum or similar hard surfaced Hoor covering, and a lining between the licor and said floor covering comprising felt reinforced by lines of stitching. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

o. N.v wENRIcH.

4. The combination of a wooden floor, a 

